Kicking off your addictive habits, whether it’s drug addiction, alcohol addiction, smoking addiction or other kinds of addiction, is a difficult feat and a significant achievement. Bravo to you! However, the same with other people trying to kick their habits, detoxifying is just the start of your long battle against possible relapses and cravings. You still have a long way to go. To help you all throughout this process, you have to go through addiction counseling. It’s essential for your addiction treatment to help your recovery and stay clean. However, just like everything else in this world, there are advantages and disadvantages of going through addiction counseling.
Why Is Addiction Counselling Important?
Most addictions are more than a physical dependence on a substance. This is why, even after you have detoxed and your physical reliance has already been solved, your risk of relapsing is still high. Oftentimes, your psychological and social battles against your addiction are more overpowering than your physical battles. While you’re detoxifying or even after doing so, you’ll experience:
- Stress and anxiety
The stresses about the changes in your lifestyle, your habits, or even in your diet.
- Cues in your environment
The smell of smoke, a whiff of alcohol, or even advertisements of items connected to your former addiction.
- Your social network
Your family or friends who continue with their addiction, or people inviting you to do it with them.
These factors may create an urge deep in you that can be irresistible. Going through addiction counseling can help you escape your cravings and learn to live your life without having to depend on anything.
How Different Addiction Counselling Work?
There are several addiction counselings that are available for you, and not a single one of these therapies are known to be better over the others. Likewise, not a single approach is catered for a single type of addiction. The right addiction counseling plan for you would be tailored to your addiction and your individual wants and needs.
- Individual therapy
This therapy is right for you if you have a separate diagnosis from your addiction. This diagnosis could be depression bipolar disorder or other mental health problems.
- Group therapy
In this therapy, you’ll be supported and challenged by people who have already gone through it or are going through your situation.
- Outpatient treatment
This treatment will allow you to still go to work or school and go on with your daily life since it’s mostly a part-time program.
- Residential treatment
This type of treatment will separate you from the environment that has caused you to become an addict.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
In this therapy, you’ll be taught on how to recognize and avoid thoughts, moods, or situations that might lead you to relapse.
- Contingency management therapy
This type of therapy will help you receive incentives for your efforts of staying clean.
The General Pros And Cons Of Different Counselling For Addiction
Pros Of Addiction Counselling
- The power of positive thinking
Through counseling, you’ll be able to understand the cause of your depression. It will help you deal with the cause of a positive and avoid any negative thoughts. You will be able to build up your confidence and self-esteem.
- See life in a better light
With therapy, you’ll be able to see things in a new perspective. It’s possible that after few sessions, you’ll be able to see how great it is to live without being dependent on anything. Thus, your attitude towards your life will become positive.
- Affirm your self-worth
Therapy will help you uphold your self-respect, thus helping you improve your quality of life and get the feeling of being able to do anything. You’ll have a renewed sense of hope, taking away your feeling of helplessness, uselessness, and hopelessness.
- Help you make better life decisions.
During your addiction, you may have had a hard time dealing with your problems. However, during counseling, you’ll be taught on how to make better decisions in life. You will be able to deal with your different issues more positively.
Cons Of Addiction Counselling
- A long process
Addiction counseling takes time; it’s going to be a long and slow process. You’ll need to have the patience and the will to get cured and become better than who you are now.
- Costly
Addiction counseling can be expensive. You would need to shell out money in order to experience its benefits. Most of the time, it’s also not covered by insurance policies, which means that you need to spend your own money for this.
- Backfiring
At times, you may conclude that all of the things happening to you during your therapy, especially the bad ones, are results of your lack of effort. This thought may lead to more depression and anxiety.
At The End Of The Day
Everything in this world has its positives and negatives. However, there are more negatives for your addiction than the therapy. The negatives that you encounter are just obstacles that you’ll face on your way to become a better and healthier you. Why not try looking for a counseling solution like Bridging The Barriers Addiction Counselling to help you get through your addiction.
About The Author:
Francesca Hart offers a unique take on her pieces, which can be seen with her pieces contributed to Bridging The Barriers Addiction Counselling. Her writing offers a refreshing and youthful vibe that isn’t seen in a lot of places online. Whenever she’s free, Francesca takes care of her succulents in her apartment.
